


Contraindicated

by Cesare



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Betrayal, Community: mcshep_match, Drabble Sequence, Drugs, Dubious Consent, M/M, Paranoia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-11
Updated: 2010-06-11
Packaged: 2017-10-14 16:29:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/151246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cesare/pseuds/Cesare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You're in on it," Rodney accused, devastated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Contraindicated

**Author's Note:**

> See tags for warnings.

"There was a bug," Rodney insisted.

John looked past him into the completely trashed hotel room. "Show me."

Rodney fidgeted. "I destroyed it. And flushed it. I didn't recognize the technology, I couldn't be sure I'd disabled it."

" _You_ didn't recognize the technology?"

A fleeting look of doubt passed over Rodney's face. Then resolve took over and he gripped John's wrist with crushing strength and pulled him inside.

Before John knew it, he was pinned to the wall. He could easily escape, but he didn't want to hurt Rodney.

"You're in on it," Rodney accused, devastated.

-

John kept perfectly still. "You know that's not true."

Rodney's face was pale and frantic, only a few inches from John's. "You must've planted the bug! I've been here awake all along! No one else has been inside this room except you!"

"You were keeping pretty close tabs on me the whole time," John reminded him.

Rodney flushed a little. "Not afterward."

"I'm on your side." John's chest ached, but a cynical part of him thought it just figured: he finally slept with Rodney, and it turned out Rodney's latest rendezvous with uppers had caused hallucinations and paranoia.

-

"How much do you remember?" John asked. It was hard to let Rodney keep pinning him like this. His training made him want to break the hold; the rest of him wanted to kiss Rodney's downturned mouth.

Rodney flushed more deeply. "Everything."

"Before that," John said.

"Years of senseless deprivation?" Rodney asked, a little of his normal sarcasm ebbing back.

" _Right_ before."

Rodney frowned. "An attack..."

"A Lucian Alliance attack. We worked around the clock for days."

"So?" Rodney gestured with his fist, still locked around John's wrist. "That doesn't explain why you bugged my room!"

-

John said, "Rodney. You know me. You trust me. Let me help you."

Finally releasing him, Rodney backed away and dropped onto the stripped-bare bed, his head in his hands. "I just can't believe you'd do this to me."

"It's okay, buddy," John said. "You're just confused. You're sick. But you'll be fine." He scratched his nails across Rodney's back the way he knew Rodney liked. The sensation distracted Rodney from the quick needle jab.

Once Rodney slumped unconscious and senseless, John hooked his headset over his ear. "Sheppard reporting. We need a replacement. He flushed it."

-

Sam Carter's sigh gusted through the headset. "Okay, I'm releasing him from this operation. We've missed our chance. Ripping up the room must have spooked the Trust-- they wouldn't risk approaching Rodney now. Boy, what lousy timing."

"You have no idea." John looked at the ampule in his hand. "I'd like to get ahold of the doc who dosed him with that crap. Are you sure this stuff's going to do the trick?"

"I took some myself." He could hear the fatigue in Carter's voice. "I don't have Rodney's allergies, but after three straight days on it..."

"Yeah."

-

"I'm sending over medics for Rodney now, and a cleanup crew from the team on hand," Sam said.

"Is it okay if I move him?" John asked. "I want the docs to have room to work. They'll be lucky to get in the door here. He did a number on this place."

It also still smelled faintly of sex; John needed an excuse to open the door. Sure, DADT was over, but John wanted to preserve some privacy, especially in this shitty situation.

"Sure. He should come around soon. Comm if you need us."

"Will do. Sheppard out."

-

Within five minutes, Rodney groggily propped himself up on one elbow. "What the hell...?"

"How much do you remember?" John asked again.

Rodney peered around blinking, eyes wide. "I don't remember the sex getting quite this wild."

"You went a little loopy," John said. "Your hay fever meds reacted with the uppers you'd been on."

"What?! Those allergy medications are in my records!" Rodney bitched, heaving himself up.

"I guess when they thought the world was ending, they got a little sloppy about checking for drug conflicts." John kept his voice casual, but his fists were clenched tight.

-

"Morons," Rodney muttered. "Look at this place."

"I can't leave you alone for a minute," John said. It came out bleaker than he intended.

Rodney looked at him, eyes bloodshot but focused. "For the record. When I jumped you, I hadn't taken the Claritin yet," he said, tactless and earnest. "I was a little strung out, but..." he swallowed. "That was me."

Something clenched tight in John's chest finally released. "Good," he managed.

"Well, don't fall all over yourself reciprocating."

John's control cracked; he wrapped his arms around Rodney and held tight enough to make his arms tremble.

-

John released Rodney just as quickly and stood, hauling Rodney to his feet and getting a shoulder under his arm. "C'mon, we need to move next door before the medics show up to take a look at you."

"I can walk," Rodney said, but he made no move to detach.

John double-tapped his headset. "Exiting."

"Ready to cover," Ronon answered.

"Thanks."

Rodney had to shuffle, but they got to John's room easily enough.

As they lowered to the bed, Rodney jumped a little, clutching John. "What about tomorrow? The Trust thing?"

John stole a kiss. "It's cancelled."


End file.
